In a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, checkout is carried out to receive payment for purchases. In the checkout, a datacode reading apparatus is used to read datacodes such as barcodes attached to items of merchandise. Popular datacode reading apparatuses employ a laser system which reads a datacode by scanning a laser beam.
The datacode reading apparatus using the laser system is installed at a checkout counter. At the checkout counter, an operator removes the items of merchandise from a shopping basket one by one and directs each item of merchandise to the datacode reading apparatus so that a laser beam scans across a datacode attached to the item of merchandise, thereby registering each item of merchandise.
A technique associated with the datacode reading apparatus using the laser system is disclosed in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-277198. The apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-277198 has an image sensing unit capable of adjusting a normal mode to read merchandise identification information such as a merchandise code pasted to each item of merchandise and a merchandise image sensing mode to sense the outer appearance of each item of merchandise. When a merchandise code is read, and merchandise registration information corresponding to the merchandise code is not registered in a file, a merchandise image sensed by the image sensing unit in correspondence with the merchandise code is additionally registered in a file together with the unit price.
The operator of the datacode reading apparatus cannot visually recognize the laser beam when operating the apparatus. Hence, the operator is trained to be able to reliably register an item of merchandise by directing it to the datacode reading apparatus so that the laser beam scans across the datacode attached to the item of merchandise. The operator acquires the sense of operation of directing the datacode to the datacode reading apparatus by training.
However, the datacode reading does not necessarily succeed when the operator directs a datacode attached to an item of merchandise to the datacode reading apparatus to read it. Even when the operator directs the datacode to the datacode reading apparatus many times, the datacode reading may fail. In such a case, the operator cannot recognize the reason why it is impossible to read the datacode.